We want your garden!

I've just been putting together some initial publicity for a new project with Transition Stroud. We have a team of active members who are helping plan this event. Here's what I sent to local press:

Photo: mural in Nailsworth Church

Transition Stroud are planning an Edible Open Gardens weekend 9th and 10th July

Following the huge success of the third Eco-Renovation Open Homes weekend in September where people opened their homes to learn more about energy efficiency and renewables, there are plans for an event that seeks to encourage people to grow and learn more about food.

Philip Booth, a Transition Stroud member said: "We are after veg and fruit gardens, allotments, herb and kitchen gardens, chicken keepers and more for people to come and see. We want to celebrate some of the wonderfully productive gardens and local food growing projects in the Stroud Valleys. Local food accounts for only 1.5% of national food consumption. Our food system is staggeringly inefficient and heavily dependent upon oil, at a time when the production of energy from fossil fuels is on the decline. Our dependence on imports is damaging for national food security, harmful to the environment and is simply unsustainable (i). With this Edible Open Gardens project we hope to all learn but also inspire more local food production at a lower environmental cost than the supermarkets."

Transition Stroud is a group working on the transition to a locally based low carbon. 20 gardens are already signed up. If anyone is interested in offering their garden for part of the weekend in July please contact Helen Pitel on 762957 or Philip Booth on email at: philip.booth2(at)virgin.net

Notes:

(i) Food Availability in the Stroud District, December 2008, written by Fi Macmillan and Dave Cockcroft of Transition Stroud. Download here.